Inflated Passport Price

Mr. Orlando Grant, PRO Kingtom Bike Riders Union I believe the pronouncement of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Joseph Bandabla Dauda, that Passport is not for poor people is not only unfortunate but also a gross violation of our rights as citizens. Passport is a necessary document that determines true citizenship therefore; such an important national document should go at an affordable cost.

Abu Koroma a Wheel Barrow Rider

I wonder why the cost of Sierra Leone Passport has been catapulted without sensitizing the public on the new Biometric system and the situation is very much frustrating for us as low income earners. I am, therefore, calling on officials in the Ministry and Government in particular to revert to the one hundred thousand Leones.

Mr. Chernor Osman Bah, Program Officer, Sierra Leone Civil Rights Coalition

I realize that every citizen is entitled to a national Passport be it biometric or whatever and the unexpected increase of the new biometric national passport is a discrimination and exploitation of the poor Sierra Leonean and Iam calling on concerned authorities to either leave the price to its original price or slightly increase it to two hundred and fifty thousand Leones to meet the need of every citizen.

Mohamed Turay, A Gardener

I believe the inflated price of the national passport will also add value to it as it will create room to quickly notice foreigners who are in the habit of impersonating our Passport.

Mr Kongbap Sumner, Media Practitioner

The inflated passport price is not all that bad as it is a way of generating much-needed revenue for the state. Besides, it adds value to our passport so that it cannot be bastardized by every Jack and Jill. I am only cautioning the vote controllers to judiciously utilize whatever revenue generated from the sale of the passport.

Hajah Mamadie Mansaray, A trader

The inflation in price of the national Passport and the Internal Affairs Minister’s statement that it is not meant for the poor is a provocation to the common man who lives by hand- to- mouth and I am therefore calling on the Minister to withdraw his unfortunate utterance and consciously reduce the amount that will suit every citizen’s pocket.

Mr. Sampha Bangura, A driver

I know the price for the new biometric passport is too exorbitant for the lay man but it is good to have a standardized national passport and I am appealing to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to use the money judiciously and create other investment.

Momoh Mange Yillah. Former APC aspirant

The government must be wise enough to reduce the high cost of the passport so that even the poorest man can afford it. Poor men can also travel; travelling is not just for the rich

Mr. Mohamed Fofanah, A tailor

I am absolutely against the five hundred thousand Leones for national Passport because it is more expensive than those of all other ECOWAS countries. Why should we pay more money for passport than other sister countries? I am calling on the Ministry to negotiate with concerned bodies for a review of the skyrocketed price.

Memunatu Sesay, A fish monger

The increased passport price is just a civilized way of exploiting citizens and I am invoking ACC to mount a robust investigation to unearth the motive behind the bloated cost of the national document.

With Abdulai Mento Kamara

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